The Lord is a defender against enemies. Not because He has undertaken to help us under every circumstance...
The Lord is a defender against enemies. Not because He has undertaken to help us under every circumstance: because of our sins, He may also withdraw from us. But when we call upon Him in our distress, He comes to our aid.
The psalmist’s negative words about hostile nations may seem like an ordinary expression of national enmity. Yet the outlook of the human transmitters of biblical revelation, though initially bounded by place and time, grows beyond those limits. The enemies’ wickedness does not lie in the fact that they “come against us”; because of our lawlessness, their actions may even be permitted from above. But if we are faithful to the Lord while the enemies intend to trample His commandments, their cause becomes wickedness. We may therefore place our hope in the justice of God, who judges the world with righteousness.
9 David praises God for giving him victory over his enemies, Psa 9:1-6.
Triumphs in confidence that God would judge the world and protect his people, Psa 9:7-10.
Calls others to praise him, Psa 9:11-12.
Prays for help, and praises God, Psa 9:13-20.
To the chief musician upon Muth - labben, A psalm of David.
Title of the psalm. Muth - labben - This also seems to be a title of some tune, or instrument: of which we may be content to be ignorant, as the Jewish doctors are.
9:3 Turned back - Put to flight.
9:7 But - Though cities and people may perish, yet the Lord abides for ever. Which is sufficient for the terror of his enemies, and the comfort of his church.
9:10 Thy name - Thy infinite power and wisdom, and faithfulness and goodness. The name of God is frequently put for God.Put their trust - The experience of thy faithfulness to thy people in all ages, is a just ground for their confidence.
9:11 Zion - Whose special and gracious presence is there.People - To the heathen nations.
9:12 Blood - The bloodshed of his innocent and holy ones: which though he may not seem to regard for a season, yet he will certainly call the authors of it to a severe account. Them - The humble, as it follows, or the oppressed, ver. Psa 9:9, that trust in him, and seek to him, ver. Psa 9:10, whom he seemed to have forgotten.
9:14 Gates - In the great assemblies. These gates he elegantly opposes to the former. Of - Of the people who live or meet together in Zion. For cities are as it were mothers to their people, and the people are commonly called their daughters.So the names of the daughters of Egypt, Jer 46:11, and of Edom, Lam 4:21-22, and of Tyre, Psa 45:12, are put for the people of those places.
9:16 Higgaion - This is either a musical term, or a note of attention, intimating that the matter deserves deep meditation, or consideration, as the word signifies.
9:17 Forget - That do not regard God, nor his precepts, nor his threatenings and judgments.